His undetected heart disease worsened by prolonged abuse

ODD-JOB labourer Sia Lian Heng was an inhalant abuser ever since he was a teenager.

For 20 years, the 34-year-old sniffed glue to get high, often going in and out of treatment centres for his addiction.

On Feb 26, 2008, his habit cost him his life.

He died at the Changi General Hospital (CGH) from multiple organ failure brought on by heart disease - contributed in no small measure by years of inhalant abuse, a problem which has seen a resurgence in recent years.

The number of inhalant abusers - many of whom are under the age of 20 - rose from an all-time low of 120 in 2005 to 600 last year.

However, the number is a far cry from that of 1987, when glue sniffing was at its peak. Then, 1,112 abusers were caught.

Yesterday, at the inquiry into Mr Sia's death, State Coroner Victor Yen said that his heart condition, which was not detected previously, was worsened by prolonged substance abuse.

Mr Sia had ended up at CGH on Feb 24, 2008, after his older brother, Mr Sia Lian Kee, 38, caught a strong whiff of glue coming from him.

The police were called and when they arrived, they found Mr Sia Lian Heng sitting cross-legged on the floor of the bedroom of his flat in Tampines Street 82.

Staff Sergeant Iskandar Rahmat from the Bedok Police Division told the court yesterday that the room reeked of glue, and lying next to Mr Sia was a packet of glue. By then, he was in a daze.

He asked the men who they were and when they identified themselves, he became agitated and shouted at them to leave.

Mr Sia then turned hostile, picking up a wooden pole and walking towards the officers.
 
He was eventually subdued and taken to CGH for a blood test to see if he had indeed been sniffing glue.  He repeatedly complained of chest pains at the hospital, and again when he was placed in a cell in the Bedok police station. So Hie officers took him back to CGH, where he was warded after vomiting blood.

The following day, Mr Sia became violent, shouting vulgarities at the police officers, and even threatening to beat them up if he saw them in public.

He was about to be released on $500 personal bond, but continued to be warded as his condition had deteriorated.

Mr Sia died in the early hours of the next day at about 1.30am.

An autopsy showed that one of Mr Sia's arteries was severely blocked. A medical expert from the National Heart Centre, Dr Lim Soo Teik, said in his report that it would have been hard to diagnose Mr Sia's heart disease, given his relatively young age and absence of risk factors.

State Coroner Yeo said: "He was clearly under the influence of the intoxicating substance, which explained his violent behaviour towards the police officers on the day in question."

He recorded a verdict of misadventure.